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Just a couple of decades ago, a founder of Scent-Sations in Wilkes-Barre was making candles in his home while two other founders were marketing products from their homes.

Now, their company, which was formed in 2002, has about 10,000 distributors selling Mia Bella candles, soaps, skin care products and more in all 50 states and U.S. territories, Canada and Korea.

Successful marketing helped the business get started and grow.

Partners Bob Scocozzo of Wilkes-Barre and Charles Umphred of Kingston have marketed products from home since 1988. While doing a candle fundraiser for his son's sports team, Mr. Scocozzo met other partner Carmen Milazzo, who was making candles in his kitchen in Plymouth.

Mr. Milazzo told Mr. Scocozzo about a candle he was working on made from natural ingredients. Soon an exclusive contract was drawn to market those candles, called Mia Bella, named after Mr. Scocozzo's daughter.

In 2002, the trio opened Scent-Sations.

"We have distributors in every state and a lot of cities in every state," Mr. Scocozzo said. "They do home parties. They do fundraising with our candles. They do book parties. They sell out of their trunks. They do craft shows and they build their businesses."

Now they want to expand more in the U.S. market as well as more countries, including Germany and France.

Mr. Scocozzo and his partners have met international trade advisers from other countries by attending events set up by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance. Last year, the partners invited 21 international trade representatives to their business on George Avenue where candles are made, hand-painted and hand-crafted in shapes, such as apple pies and key lime pies.

When the representatives saw what it takes for them to make candles, they were impressed, Mr. Scocozzo said. Mia Bella candles are the most expensively made candles in the world, he said.

"We use only the finest ingredients money can buy and a blended palm wax," he said. "We don't use a lot of additives in our fragrance oils. We buy high-end very expensive fragrance oils. One hundred hours later, your house is still smelling good with our candle."

Scent-Sations employs 40 people, a drop from about 80 in 2010. By selling in more countries, Mr. Scocozzo said that will help the company grow again.

"If the economy is slowing down in the U.S. and you get into other countries, you're still doing business. You're still hiring people. It's not like you have one market share and you're done," he said. "We're getting stronger again. We're this little company that has grown and slowed and now we're growing again."

The partners from Scent-Sations were among several business leaders who met with international trade advisers at the East Mountain Inn in Plains Township in May.

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance plans to hold the 15th annual event called "Bringing the World to Northeastern Pennsylvania" on Sept. 27 at the Woodlands Inn and Resort. At the event, business leaders can meet with trade advisers, explain their businesses and the assistance needed to expand into other markets, said Michael Horvath, international business development manager for Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance.

Fourteen area companies participated in the event in May, and more than 40 companies participated in the event last September.

Scent-Sations and any other businesses using the programs can increase sales internationally because trade advisers will put them in touch with distributors and users for their products, said Mr. Horvath.

"It's a way that businesses can get vital information on a specific market on businesses interested in their products," Mr. Horvath said. "It's easier than doing the research themselves. The trade advisers are in the market. They know the contacts in the market and they can give them advice about how the market operates. It's an opportunity for a company to see who would be their best business partner. They have the potential to develop relationships overseas that will generate sales for them and find distributors and users for their products."

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2115

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